By: Michael Bautista, Community Journalist
Months after his arrest at Newark Liberty International Airport, a Rowan University freshman accused of plotting to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) remains jailed as federal court filings reveal undercover agents, sealed evidence, and active plea talks.
Newly filed documents show the case has grown significantly since The Whit first reported on the November arrest of Tomas-Kaan Jiminez-Guzel. Federal judges have denied bail, imposed strict limits on sensitive national security evidence, and ordered a formal neurological examination for the 19-year-old defendant, all the while, plea negotiations appear to be underway behind the scenes.
“We are just organizing things slowly . . . we need trust . . . for sham, we need to wait,” said Jimenez-Guzel, who wrote in a group chat cited in court records, using “sham,” an extremist term referring to the Levant region that includes modern-day Syria.
Jiminez-Guzel was arrested on Nov. 4, 2025, at the Newark airport by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the nation’s primary domestic intelligence and counterterrorism agency. Prosecutors allege he was attempting to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey, with plans to travel onward to Syria to join ISIS, a group designated by the U.S. government as a foreign terrorist organization.
Jimenez-Guzel pleaded not guilty.
Evidence and Orders
According to the criminal complaint and subsequent filings in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, investigators tracked years of online communications between Jimenez-Guzel and several men in Michigan, as well as other individuals located overseas.
Federal prosecutors say those conversations spanned multiple social media and encrypted platforms that included discussions of traveling abroad to join ISIS, securing funds for relocation, coded language to avoid detection, weapons, and extremist propaganda.
In an early exchange cited within court records, Jimenez-Guzel allegedly wrote: “Bro, I fr (for real) wanna make hijrah so bad … not by myself.”
“Hijrah” is an Arabic word that means migration, and it historically refers to the Prophet Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina. In extremist propaganda, the term is used to describe relocating to territory controlled by a militant organization.
Authorities allege the group used coded language referring to travel as a “vacation” and firearms as “pew-pew.”
In another message quoted in the filings, Jiminez-Guzel wrote, “Don’t use words that will trigger counter terrorists, ikhwa,” using the Arabic word for “brothers.”
Prosecutors say the group also discussed gathering near Jordan and “do something that’s going to leave a mark in history,” though nothing has come from this.
Court records state that the FBI used confidential human sources (CHS), civilians who provided information to investigators, as well as undercover confidential employees (UCE) posing online as supporters. Those undercover roles are central to the government’s evidence.
Due to the involvement of confidential sources and undercover personnel, U.S. Magistrate Judge Andre M. Espinosa signed a consent protective order on Feb. 26.
The order governs how the discovery evidence, which prosecutors must share with the defense, can be handled. It restricts the public dissemination of materials that may contain sensitive national security information, including recordings of conversations, online account identifiers, and information that could reveal the identity of CHS, UCE, or online covert employees (OCE)
Under the order, certain materials may only be reviewed in secure government facilities, and the defendant may not personally retain certain sensitive information.
The order also references the Classified Information Procedures Act, a federal law that outlines how courts manage classified evidence in criminal cases. While no formal classified filings have been publicly detailed, the reference suggests that some materials may involve national security considerations.
In accordance with the protective order, discovery is being shared for purposes of plea negotiations under federal rules that generally prohibit statements made during plea discussions from being used against a defendant on trial.
Legal experts say the discovery phase in federal cases involving national security or terrorism allegations can take months as both sides comb through the digital communications and investigative reports.
Earlier in February, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jose R. Almonte ordered Jiminez-Guzel detained pending trial.
Under federal law, certain terrorism-related charges trigger a rebuttable presumption of detention. This occurs when the court begins with the assumption that detention is appropriate, and the defender must present evidence to overcome it.
In his written order, Almonte concluded that no combination of release conditions would reasonably ensure community safety or the defendant’s return to the courts. The judge cited the seriousness of the charges, the weight of the evidence, and the court’s description of his sudden flight to Turkey as an attempt to evade law enforcement.
The charges carry a maximum of 20 years in prison if courts find Jimenez-Guzel guilty.
What Comes Next
Jimenez-Guzel is currently housed at the Essex County Correctional Facility under the supervision of the United States Marshals Service, which is responsible for holding federal pretrial detainees.
In a separate order issued in March, Judge Almonte directed jail medical staff to assess whether Jimenez-Guzel should be referred to a neurologist for ongoing migraines.
Defense submitted sealed medical records indicating a history of traumatic brain injuries and chronic headaches. They argued that previous treatments had been ineffective and that a specialist evaluation was warranted.
The government did not object to the request.
The judge stopped short of ordering outside treatment but required medical providers to determine whether a referral is medically necessary by March 31 and to provide a written explanation if it is denied. The defense may request a status conference after April 15 if the issue remains unresolved.
The order notes that the court is not in a position “at this juncture” to override medical professionals’ judgment but retains supervisory authority over conditions of confinement.
Jimenez-Guzel moved onto Rowan University’s campus in late August to begin his freshman year as a computer science major. He had been enrolled for roughly two months before his arrest.
University officials previously confirmed they cooperated with investigators and emphasized there is no ongoing threat to campus safety.
With Jimenez-Guzel still in pretrial detention, the case is proceeding through a series of procedural steps common in federal criminal prosecutions, including a discovery review, medical assessments, and a potential pretrial motion.
Future hearings in the case may address pretrial motions, potential plea negotiations, or evidentiary disputes before any trial date is finalized.
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